Former Red Cross Society chief executive officer Charles Mushitu has sued the state for malicious prosecution.

Mushitu, alongside Sydney Chituta, a former finance and administration manager and Kelvin Chiposwa, who was a board member at Red Cross Society are demanding K2,425,500 as special damages in legal fees.

The trio is also claiming K47,830 as damages on money spent to hire taxis to attend the criminal court trial and pre trial meetings with counsels.

Mushitu and two others also want damages for mental distress, anguish and inconvenience arising from malicious prosecution.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, the trio stated that they were appearing in the Subordinate court from September 16, 2013 to May 17, 2017 for 48 times on abuse of authority of office and destroying evidence which charges were maliciously leveled against them by the Drug Enforcement Commission.

They were accused of abusing the authority of their office when they misapplied K267,000,000 meant for orphans and vulnerable children in Sesheke and Kazungula districts when the said money was lawfully borrowed by Red Cross through its policy of inter project borrowing.

They were however acquitted by magistrate Aridah Chulu on May 18, 2017.